Mr. Green is General Counsel, P.C.'s founder, managing partner and leads its employment law practice.

Merritt serves as an outside general counsel to numerous clients providing guidance on legal issues confronting businesses and non-profit organizations ranging from contracts and agreements to the structuring of corporate transactions and business formations. Merritt also represents businesses and individuals in all aspects of labor and employment law.

Merritt received his J.D., cum laude, from the Syracuse University College of Law (1997). At Syracuse, he was an Associate Editor of the Syracuse Law Review and was Editor-in-Chief of The Labor Lawyer, the publication of...

John C. Cook is a founding partner of Cook Craig & Francuzenko, PLLC, where he has practiced since the firm’s inception in 2007. Previously, John practiced in two firms in Northern Virginia. He began his career in the District of Columbia’s Corporation Counsel’s (now Attorney General’s) office.

John’s practice emphasizes the representation of executives, employees and small businesses in employment law matters, including advice and counsel regarding workplace issues; drafting, review and negotiation of severance agreements, executive contracts and employee handbooks; and litigation arising out of breach of contract, non-competition agreements, workplace assaults, theft of proprietary information, fraud, Family and Medical...

Lee E. Berlik is the founder and managing member of BerlikLaw, LLC. Based in Northern Virginia, BerlikLaw concentrates its practice in the areas of defamation law (libel and slander), business disputes, and intellectual property litigation. Formerly with Troutman Sanders and Mintz Levin, Lee brings his big-firm background and experience to offer clients top-notch legal services at drastically reduced rates. Lee is listed among Virginia's "Legal Elite" by Virginia Business Magazine and is rated "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell.

If you have been arrested for a serious offense, and the fate of your liberties and livelihood depends on the outcome of negotiations with prosecutors, or a trial in criminal courts — when experience matters in the defense attorney you select — Invictus Law, aggressively defends your rights. Attorney Eric Leckie is an experienced trial lawyer in both state and federal criminal law. As an active duty Marine Officer, he spent nearly 12 years as a Judge Advocate. During that time, Eric Leckie served as a prosecutor, operational law advisor, and staff judge advocate for numerous commands in...

Receiving his legal training at a top ten program for intellectual property law in the United States, Mr. Powers is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law. In addition to earning his Juris Doctorate, Mr. Powers holds dual specialty certifications from Michigan State University College of Law in Corporate Law and Communications & Intellectual Property Law.

Benjamin has always stood up for what’s right – he finds real meaning in helping the good guys win! He’s always been guided by a clear sense of right and wrong, from his time in the U.S. Army to his time as a Commonwealth Attorney (prosecutor), to his current position at J. Madison PLC.Before starting at J. Madison PLC, Benjamin worked at the Arlington Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for five years. As a Commonwealth Attorney, he helped the victims of violent, non-violent, and financial crimes find justice. He also tried hundreds of traffic cases and specialized in DUI cases. ...

Kyle L. Epting is licensed in Virginia, District of Columbia and Maryland. After graduating from law school at George Mason University School of Law in 2010, Kyle was a fellow for the National Federation of Independent Business where he worked on various federal appellate business related cases. Kyle then worked with Arlington Law Group from 2010 to 2012, handling various business, employment and litigation related issues for the firm’s clients. In 2012, Kyle took a leave of absence to gain litigation experience with the employment law group at Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott, LLC. Kyle returned...

Mary Baker is a senior litigation attorney and Of Counsel to BerlikLaw, LLC. Mary engages primarily in civil litigation, including business and commercial litigation, employment litigation, intellectual property and trademark litigation and complex litigation. She has handled litigation covering essentially every issue that affects business. She litigates primarily in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, but has litigated in federal courts in California, Georgia, Maryland, New York and Texas.

Some notable professional accomplishments and highlights include:

Winning a $5.4M verdict as lead counsel for a successful Northern Virginia internet technology company in an employment and trade secrets theft case in the...

Stephen M. Terpak is a personal injury, civil litigation and traffic attorney for Virginia state and federal courts and began practicing law in 2000. He received his BS at Mary Washington College, and his law degree at George Mason University School of Law, where he served as the Lead Articles Editor for the Journal of International Legal Studies. Mr. Terpak focuses his practice on seeking compensation those who have been wronged or injured, defending individuals and companies facing civil claims and lawsuits, and defending traffic tickets and misdemeanors.

As founder of Lawrence & Associates, Ms. Lawrence has practiced employment law exclusively throughout her career, and is well-known for her work in the employment law field. She graduated with a B.A. from the University of Virginia with honors and earned her law degree from the Marshall Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary. Admitted to practice in 1992, she has represented employees and employers in the public and private sectors. Clients are “impressed” by Ms. Lawrence’s “poise and command of the law,” adding that she is also “very helpful, detailed and patient.”

Jay M. McDannell is a civil/commercial litigator with over 10 years experience in state and federal courts, both locally and nationally. Jay has successfully resolved both small cases and multi-million dollar disputes for clients over a wide range of practice areas and industries, including government contracts, construction, energy, financial services, fraud, insurance, civil rights and complex commercial disputes. Jay's clients vary as well from individuals to small business owners to multinational corporations.

In his free time Jay is helping coach his son's baseball team and plays softball and volleyball. Jay has also done award-winning work with underprivileged District of Columbia high-school...

Joshua Erlich's practice includes transactional and litigation projects for both individuals and small businesses. Prior to forming The Erlich Law Office, Mr. Erlich was an associate at McTigue & Veis, LLP. In that position, he worked on complex class action litigation, representing participants in employee benefit plans. Mr. Erlich also served as a legal intern at the Department of Labor, Plan Benefits Security Division and in the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Assistant General Counsel for General Law, Ethics, and Regulation. He worked at private firms during law school and held a summer associate position at O’Donoghue &...

Mr. Roberts was admitted to practice law in Virginia in 1986 and before the United States Supreme Court in 1991. Mr. Roberts has a broad background of experience in litigation and business. His practice includes the successful representation of clientele in obtaining recoveries in cases of personal injury, in commercial disputes, and in civil rights. Additionally, Mr. Roberts has served as corporate counsel and director for several electronic technology corporations. Mr. Roberts is a founder and the principal member of the firm of Thomas H. Roberts & Associates, P.C. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in business...

Experience is the lifeblood of a lawyer's success. Jay Levit's experience in law is both educational and professional. Mr. Jevit graduated with a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from Harvard Law School. An early paper of his received special "honors" and was deposited into the Harvard Law Library. Shortly after graduating, Mr. Levit joined the faculty at the University of Michigan Law School as an instructor. The next four years were spent as a trial and appellate attorney for the US Department of Justice. About 1% of lawyers experience arguing before the full United States Supreme Court, as Jay Levit...

Ryan A. Brown was born in Kansas City and raised in California. His first job in the computer industry began at the age of eleven, building and repairing personal computers for a local store in Santa Barbara, California. In 1993 he began a computer and Internet consulting firm and started the first Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Santa Barbara.
Ryan went on to attend Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he received a BS in Computer Science with departmental and school honors and a BA in Spanish in 2000. Ryan is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Upsilon Pi Epsilon...

Burke Law, P.L.C. provides its clients with effective legal services as they face their most challenging legal issues. Burke Law counsels government contractors and employees on matters ranging from security clearances eligibility denials to the most basic questions about completing the SF-86. The law practice of Burke Law also defends clients against criminal charges, against asset forfeiture proceedings brought by state and federal law enforcement, and maintains a heavy consumer protection and civil litigation case load in both state and federal court. Clients in all practice areas attest to the prompt, courteous, and professional...

Colleen Marea Quinn is a director and equity owner in the law firm of Locke & Quinn, has achieved an “AV” rating, the highest given, by Martindale Hubbell, was honored in 2011 with the YWCA Outstanding Woman Award for Law & Government, with the 2011 “Hats Off to Women Award” by the ABWA Cavalier Chapter, as a "Best Lawyer" and "Best Law Firm" by Us News & World Report, from 2006-17 as a “Super Lawyer” in Virginia by Richmond magazine, in from 2010-16 & 2005 by Virginia Business magazine as one of Virginia’s “Legal Elite,” a “Leader in the Law”...

Broderick C. Dunn is a partner at Cook Craig & Francuzenko, PLLC. Mr. Dunn helps individuals and small businesses navigate the litigation process. He also counsels clients in dispute avoidance. Mr. Dunn focuses his practice on labor and employment counseling and litigation where he represents federal government and private sector employees as well as employers.

Mr. Dunn also focuses his practice on counseling and litigation involving business torts, creditor’s rights, traffic defense, constitutional law and commercial landlord/tenant issues. He regularly appears in state and federal courts and in front of private arbitrators, mediators and administrative agencies.

Jeffrey Rhodes is an accomplished civil litigator, and a leading business and employment lawyer. In his many years of practice, Mr. Rhodes has litigated in courts around the country. Mr. Rhodes advises companies and executives, representing them in structuring, drafting, and defending their corporate transactions to help accomplish their business goals. Mr. Rhodes has effectively defended multi-million dollar claims and has also has obtained a multi-million dollar verdict on the plaintiff's side. He has litigated matters in all areas of civil, commercial and employment law, including: •contract disputes; •enforcement and defense...

Katie is passionate about educating and empowering others, and utilizes her legal experience to help individuals understand and resolve their legal issues. Although interested in a diverse range of legal fields, Katie is enthusiastic about advocating for the rights of others in matters of discrimination, employment issues, and wage and hour disputes at The Erlich Law Office.

Before coming to The Erlich Law Office, Katie worked as the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Winchester. Previously, Katie worked as an intern at the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in Washington, DC.

I am a big-city attorney who practices on Main Streets in Gaithersburg, MD and on Chincoteague Island, VA. I am a licensed attorney (Maryland, Virginia, DC), certified fraud examiner (nationwide), and registered private investigator (Virginia). Before starting my own law practice, I was a National Park Ranger, a law clerk to a federal judge, a U.S. government prosecutor, and a criminal investigator. I completed my career as the Assistant Inspector General for the Securities and Exchange Commission. In private practice, nearly all my cases involve litigation - meaning trial work - but the cases vary...

Joshua Jewett advocates for employees’ rights in all types of employment law matters before federal and state courts, as well as in administrative and grievance hearings. Mr. Jewett has represented numerous individuals across a broad spectrum of industries. In addition to representing employees in litigation type settings, Mr. Jewett advises management and decisionmaker employees in both the private and federal sector who are facing disciplinary action, possible termination, or are being forced out. Mr. Jewett has helped clients in these situations either keep their jobs or peacefully exit from their situations by obtaining a negotiated severance package.

James H. ("Jamie") Shoemaker, Jr. became an associate in the law firm of Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein ("PWHD") in 1993 after spending two years with a large firm based in Norfolk, Virginia. He became a partner in PWHD in 1996. His practice includes all areas of employment law, False Claims Act (whistleblower) and Fair Labor Standards Act (overtime) litigation matters. He has tried over seventy cases to verdict in state and federal courts of record, before arbitration panels, Administrative Law Judges and other forums. He has successfully resolved several times this number through settlement and mediation. Jamie has...

Recognized as one of Virginia’s “Legal Elite” by Virginia Business Magazine, a “Rising Star” by Virginia Super Lawyers and a “Rising Star” by Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers*, Ms. Angela France is highly regarded for her legal counsel to businesses and clients in the Washington Metropolitan area. Ms. France is a seasoned litigator, who regularly appears in state and federal courts on behalf of business clients in complex commercial disputes, business torts, and employment actions, including the well-known “Rocket Docket” of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Additionally, Ms. France offers a wealth of corporate...

Mr. Craig is a partner in the Law Firm of Cook Craig & Francuzenko, PLLC. Previously he was a partner in the firm, Sparks & Craig, LLP after serving 10 years as an associate attorney in the predecessor law firm of Herge, Sparks & Christopher from 1995-2004.

Prior to 1995, he served as a legislative analyst for the government affairs firms of Albers & Co., Inc. and the Center for State Policy Research.

Mr. Craig represents companies, corporations, partnerships and individuals in business, contract law, intellectual property, and a wide range of other practice areas to include estate/trust planning and administration, election...

Lori Searcy represents clients in complex commercial litigation, principally in the areas of business and employment law. She is a cum laude graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has worked at premier law firms on major cases, many of national significance.

Davia’s passion is using the law to ensure people are treated fairly. Her primary focuses are employment law, litigation, negotiation of severance agreements, and other workplace dispute resolution, including internal grievance procedures. However, Davia also handles general civil matters, ranging from contract disputes to defamation.

Bringing these diverse areas of law together is the singular notion that people deserve to be treated with respect. The remedies Davia fights for come in a number of forms, including monetary relief, new training programs, and fighting to get her clients’ jobs back.

Before joining The Erlich Law Office, Davia was a member of her college...

Admitted to practice law in Virginia in 1998, Mel brings a wealth of litigation experience to clients that includes practice as a prosecutor and working for insurance companies defending lawsuits, to include defending government officials charged with misconduct and violations of civil rights. Now he represents persons and small businesses in litigation arising out of serious personal injury, employment disputes, and employment and administrative/governmental grievances, such as professional discipline. Mel received his Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, from Bridgewater College of Virginia in 1995, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Philosophy/Religion. In 1998,...

Alexander Francuzenko is a founding partner in the law firm of Cook Craig & Francuzenko, PLLC. Mr. Francuzenko is a graduate of T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. While in law school, he interned for the United States Magistrate Judge David G. Lowe of the Eastern District of Virginia, and subsequently clerked for the Circuit Court of Queen Anne’s County, Maryland.

Mr. Francuzenko has been engaged in the practice of law for over 23 years, focusing on litigation. He is a member of the Virginia, District of Columbia and Maryland Bars, and actively practices in the state...

Mr. Tureaud is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Virginia Bar Association and Fairfax Bar Association.

Mr. Tureaud obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina in the field of Sports and Entertainment Management. He remained in Columbia, South Carolina, completing his legal studies and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of...

Chris is a seasoned business attorney and litigator with experience helping businesses in both private practice and as a Corporate Counsel to a large franchisor with over 4,000 franchisees internationally.Chris has handled commercial disputes for clients in state and federal courts around the country in matters ranging from basic contract disputes to multi-million dollar “bet the company” lawsuits. Prior to becoming an attorney, he was the C.I.O. for an Internet Service Provider in Buffalo, NY.Chris teaches as a adjunct professor at Regent University.Chris was named a 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 ‘Rising Star’ by Super Lawyers magazine, a distinction received...

Barry Rowell is a partner at Klein Rowell & Shall PLLC (KRS Law). Prior to forming this new partnership, Barry was a partner at Valverde & Rowell, PC, from 2006 to 2019. From 1995 to 2006, Barry was employed with a Fortune 50 Company, working in the human resources and legal department. Barry has successfully responded to and mediated hundreds of charges of employment discrimination filed with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Fair Employment Practice Agencies in more than 40 states. Barry has a wide range of experience advising corporate clients on complex employment issues including...

Dipo Akin-Deko is the Managing Director of Akin-Deko Professional Services Firm. Mr. Akin-Deko focus is on Business and Employment law, Public and Private Sector Contracts and Business Consulting.
Specialties: Mr. Akin-Deko represents businesses as well as individuals in business formation, business and commercial litigation, negotiations, contract dispute and formation, liability assessments, not for profit representation, licensing and labor/employment defense.
Mr. Akin-Deko has consulting experience includes corporate strategy, strategic planning, private and government contracting/sub contracting advising.

Mr. Krone is licensed to practice law in Virginia and the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Virginia Bar Association, and the Fairfax Bar Association. While Mr. Krone’s practice covers the general span of civil litigation issues, he is often litigating business disputes, contract disputes, wage cases, and personal injury cases in the Circuit and General District Courts of Northern Virginia as well as the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Mr. Krone has had success in...

Employment law governs the relationship between workers and their employers. This law, contained in federal and state statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions, specifies the rights and restrictions applicable to each party in the workplace.

This area of law regulates such issues as employee benefits, discipline, hiring, firing, leave, payroll, and health and safety in the workplace. It also encompasses non-compete agreements, retaliation, severance, unemployment compensation, pensions, whistle-blowing, worker classification, wage garnishment, work authorization for non-U.S. citizens, worker's compensation, and employee handbooks.

Both federal and state laws govern the relationship between employees and employers. Federal laws such as Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on certain characteristics. Many states have enacted their own laws similar to federal ones (and sometimes are more stringent). Cities and counties also can enact ordinances that affect employee rights, such as local minimum wage laws.

Employment lawyers can choose to accept only employees as clients, only employers, or both. Some attorneys focus on a specific area of employment law, such as workers' compensation, whistleblowing or discrimination, but many can handle a wide range of employment law issues.

Essential job functions:
The fundamental job duties of the employment position that the individual with a disability holds or desires. The term essential functions does not include marginal functions of the position.

Exempt employee:
An employee who is not entitled to the minimum wage or overtime pay protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act.